Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1887-05-09

creditable informants. The opponents of
Mormonism have never been able todeny
it earnestly.
They have, of course, interposed the
plea that the Mormons' communism did
SO much and cohered so fraternally only
because it was built on religious found
ation-a sort of counterfeit from Christen-
dom and Hebrewdom But this is
very unsatisfactory explanation for the
phenomenon. This new religion" is
quite an insipid and stale fabric; it does
what other religions do, captivate the
fancy or imagination; it knows no
miracles and nourishes no faith in mira
cles. The revelation which it breaches
is, SO to speak, democratic one. 1t does
not deal in heavenly affairs, but earthly
ones, in Mormon plans, about which
there is much praying in the congregated
community, but also final voting; and,
whatever is there indited by good COM
mon sense, the voice of the people, is
proclaimed as the voice of God. There
is nothing celestialized and supernatural
IN this religion, SO that even its founder,
Joseph Smith, is not divinely wor-
shipped.
Hence it is not this that lends to Nor
mondom the cement of its conference. No
more is it plural marriage; for, as now is
known statistically, nine-tenths of the
Mormons are in monogamy, and polvg-
amy is on the decrease. As long as they
needed very rapid growth of population
to ward off their enemies and the un-
favorable legislation of the United States,
polygamy was a mere means, not its own
aim. Now there are better means,
especially the growing wealth of the
church, the well secured large landed
interests and the considerable armed
power 'Wehrkraft'') of this people. Now
adays, as luxuriousness is becoming
prevalent there, too, it costs too much to
maintain two or more women, especially
as they are evincing growing reluctance
to working in the field. The immigrating
Europeans, who are unexceptionally
chosen only from Protestants and peas
ants (for the missionaries REASONABLY shun
Catholics, infidels and educated people,
do not take kindly to polygamy, as they
cannot employ their numerous children
in field and garden labor or cattle-raising.
Consequently, what renders the Mormons
a strictly secluded or isolated people is
communism, the care of the whole COM
munity for the individual, combined with |
real Democratic self-government, the |
absence of any anxious solicitude for a
living, or the helpless days of old age
or the fate of the posterity.
In this those people who consider the |
care, ambition, competition and egotism |
Of existing society as an indispensable |
agent of progress, and who claim that |
without those impetuses society would |
relapse in Incidence and retrogression, |
will find an example which contradicts |
that assertion-indeed very interesting |
example. The Mormons are advancing |
in civilization, although they have not as
yet done anything for higher culture, for
the cultivation of sciences and arts. |
Their industry has never relaxed; they !
needed no ambition, no spur of competi-
ton to create true marvel of agricultu-
raj development. They have helped |
themselves all alone without any learned
class, and-without priesthood, without |
salaried army of office-hold-
ers-in short, without all estate
loafers," all idlers. Under the most |
difficult circumstances they have proven |
what communism, solidarity, The strug-
gle against the social corruption of the
day, can achieve with united means.
Even their religious fanaticism is not
half as bad as every other. We have had |
personal acquaintance with Mormons |
who laughed at the charge of fanaticism
and submissiveness to an hierarchy.